As ‘Kireedam’ returns to theaters in a restored version 37 years after its original release, director Sibi Maleil has revealed an interesting chapter in the film’s journey. The filmmaker says the now-iconic production was not originally planned as a Mohanlal classic.In an interview with Silly Monks, Sibby Mallail recalled how the title eventually came to Kiredam. He also praised screenwriter AK Lohithadas for naming “Kireedam” and its sequel “Chenkol”.
‘Kireedam’ suggested for first time in Mammootty movie
Sibi Marail revealed that the idea for “Kireedam” had been around even before Mohanlal was finalized in the lead role. At that time, Rohisadas was writing scripts for several filmmakers, including IV Sasi.Recalling the incident, Sibi said, “The idea of Kireedam has been with us for a long time. When Lohithadas and I conceived the story, we hadn’t even decided on Mohanlal as the lead. At the time, Losey was also writing films for several directors. Mr. IV Sasi was working on a film called Mukthi, starring Mammootty. Once, when Lohi was shooting for that film in Madras, I went to meet him. He told me about Mukthi. It’s about the life of a collector and the ‘Crown of Thorns’ he wore throughout his life. “He further said, “Rohi suggested the title Kireedam for the film. But Mr. Sasi IV didn’t particularly like the title. He told Rohi to come up with another name. When Rohi told me this, I immediately said, ‘This title belongs to us. Let’s make our film with it.'” Rohi agreed and said it suited our story perfectly. That’s how we ended up with the name “Kireedam”. “
How “Chenkol” Earned the Final Title
Sibi Malaysiail also revealed that the sequel almost had a different title before the team settled on “Chenkol”. Several options were discussed during the planning stages.Revealing the details, he said, “When we started planning the sequel, several titles were discussed. One name we considered was Kanneerpoovu. But ultimately it was Lohi who came up with the title ‘Chenkol’. He wanted a title related to Kireedam. There is a symbolic relationship between the crown (Kireedam) and the title (Chenkol). in factThis idea also influenced the title.The symbolic connection between the two works makes “Chenkol” a perfect continuation of Sethumadhavan’s story, the director said.“Kireedam” is one of the most memorable collaborations between director Sibi Maleil, screenwriter AK Lohithadas and actor Mohanlal.Its sequel, Chenkol, continues the story and ends with a more emotional ending than the first part.The restored version of “Kireedam” is now back in theaters.
